A Brewing Storm
Where is the Cube? "Guaaaaahg!" Shots were fired, blood spewed on the streets. "H-He's crazy!" A local exclaimed. A man was sitting inside a small tent, with a single chair in it in front of him. He holstered the gun which he just used to shot down several outlaws. "Hmpf...trash. If you don't have the money, just...don't waste my time." Said the man sitting inside the tent, dressed in an expensive suit, with a wooden crate on his side. " 250,000,000...that's the price. If you don't have it, just don't show your face here!" He exclaimed to whoever could hear him. Muramasa Kazuko rested his head on his palm. An underworld broker renowned for his effective services. This time, however, he was conducting business on his own. A few days ago, he had sent a message through various underworld channels, the selling of a Devil Fruit, a useful one, the , a power to turn anything the user touches into cubes and manipulate it at will. Quite the effective matter manipulation ability. He had a devil fruit of his own, as such, he had no use for this one. Kazuko knew his message had reached many, and maybe even government officials, but he honestly didn't care. He was confident in his owns skill, enough that he felt prepared in case things went south in a deal. "Commander Kaitome, we have confirmed, the criminal is right in the middle of town, boldly setting up tent and awaiting the purchase of the item!" "Excellent", said the Marine commander. Her bronze hair was short, yet curly, and it was admired by her subordinates. Rain began to pour down, as Kazuko lighted a cigarette inside the tent. "YO!" Kazuko raised his gaze, seeing a pair of sandals standing outside the tent. "Come in, please. I hope you have the money..." The man took steps forward, his sandals making squishing sounds as it stepped in the wet floor. Leaning in to enter the tent, a young man revealed himself to Kazuko. He sat on the chair in front of the broker, glaring at the man. "I do not care for your name, just hand me the money, and the item is yours." "Ah yes, but I want to give you my name anyways, it's common courtesy, after all." Before he could continue, Kazuko raised his gaze once more, taking a good look at the young man. "Draco D. Zephyr. I know who you are." Kazuko picked the cigarette from his mouth, and exhaled a puff of smoke. "What is a revolutionary like you wanting to do business like this?" He placed his cigarette back on his mouth. Zephyr, who was holding his staff with his left hand, lifted it up and rested the weapon on his shoulder. He wiped some water from his face, brushing against the tattoo on the left side of his face. He smirked slightly towards the broker, "Well, actually, I want information." With a slight grunt, Kazuko removed the cigarette once more "Didn't you get the right memo? I'm not selling information, I'm selling a devil fruit. Either you want it, or leave, before you get on my nerves." "Come on. I can pay for it. Besides, you don't have much time..." Zephyr scoffed. "I saw a Marine ship coming this way while I was traveling here." He threw a bag in front of Kazuko, "there's 200,000,000. Tell me what I want to know." "Ay, ay...I hate punks like you that don't listen. You see, I have no reason to fear, nor for the Marines, neither from you. I'm more than enough, and even then, I hired some reliable men for protection, just in case." Kazuko dropped the cigarette and stepped on it. "You asked for it, kid. I'll be a good lad and give you one last chance to scram..." Gripping his staff and shaking his head, Zephyr slowly stood up. "I apologize, I know you're a busy man. Pardon my impudence." As he began to walk away, he suddenly leaped into the air, and spinned clockwise, creating a small tornado that pushed everything around him. Kazuko did his best to cover his face, and tried to reach for his crate, but he was elevated into the air and pushed back. As the gust ended, Zephyr landed on the ground, and smirked at Kazuko. Under his right arm, the same crate that Kazuko had beside him rested. "See ya!" Stomping the ground, he once again leaped into the air, stepping on what seemed to be invisible air ladders. "This imbecile!" Kazuko removed the debris that had fallen on him, and gave chase to the young man. Finwind had been leaning on a building near by, watching the crowds of people, his eyes glaring mostly back to the tent of Kazuko, when suddenly a young man burst from the tent carrying a crate. He pushed himself from the wall and began chasing after the man, though the man was mid-air, probably a fruit power Finwind thought. He moved towards a wall, jumped up, and then pushed off the wall, trying to close the distance between him and the man, attempting to wrap a hand around the mans ankle and drag him down. “Careful! Kazuko exclaimed to Finwind as the fishman rushed past him and targeted the thief. “That staff he has releases some weird energy, I’ve been feeling awkward ever since the guy appeared!” Sensing the wind shift, Zephyr glanced back, noticing the large man approach quickly and grab him by his ankle, forcing him downwards with great force. “Woooaah!” As he descended, he waved his staff in a circle motion, pointing below at the ground, forming a wind rotation that cushioned his fall, gently landing on the ground with both feet. “Aaah!” He said as he stared at the fishman. “You’re the guy the breeze told me about that was nearby...” Zephyr smirked with a challenging stare, “you’re a strong one!” "Well, I am a Fishman..." Finwind smirked. “Ooh! A Fishman! You’re only the second one I’ve ever met!” His eyes turned solemn for a second, before quickly returning to his determined and curious look. “The Elders spoke highly of your martial art! This is exciting!” Kazuko closed in, throwing in front of Zephyr the bag of coins he had earlier. Probably amidst the commotion, Zephyr managed to switch the bag with the crate he was now carrying. “You little trickster...those are fake coins!” Clenching his fist, he raised his arm and pointed at the boy. “Finwind, bring me that crate! I don’t care what happens to this thief!...go wild.” Finwind drew his xiphos and held it at the man "Alright Boy, drop the crate and maybe you'll leave with your life." he threatened, giving the boy no more than 3 seconds before he charged forward, sliding and slicing towards the mans legs. “Drop it? Sure!” He let go of the crate, though it didn’t hit the floor, as an air current held it floating just a few feet above ground. As Finwind launched himself from his position, Zephyr clenched his staff, taking a step forward, then twisting his body while pivoting on that foot, and followed by placing his back leg in front, all the while gracefully following the movement with his staff, a low hum was heard while he performed his stance, which lasted a mere moment. The hum got louder, as a powerful current of air was shot forward, covering the streets, and strong enough to lift large boulders as if they were leaves. With a final swing of his staff, he launched two, slicing wind blades, which grew in speed and size as they traveled through the air current enveloping the area, threatening to slice Finwind as the blades got larger and stronger the closer they covered the short distance. Finwind would quickly shift stance, pulling his shield out in front of him, stabbing his sword into the ground and taking a defensive stance, as the wind blades reached his shield he forced back at them, forcing them upwards into the air with a loud grunt. Finwind stood tall and smirked at the man before his right hand turned to brass and began glowing red with heat, the heat traveled the length of his blade before Finwind slashed at the air, Finwind held his blade flat, and a rush of blunt heat traveled through the air towards Zephyr in an attempt to burn him. “Ah!” Zephyr let go of his staff momentarily, raising one arm up high, and the other leaving it below, rotating them in place in swift strides, so quickly that to an onlooker it may seem as his arms are vibrating in place, when in truth they are rotating. The low hum once again resonated through the area, and suddenly, a wind current rained from above, at the same time as another swept from underneath him and rose, both currents meeting each other as they intercepted Finwind’s heat strike. As the current from below rose, it aided in making the heat rise, forcing it upwards as heated air naturally does. With the downwards current, the colder air brought from above would make the rising heated air cool off, creating a wall that intercepted the heated strike, culminating in a cloud of steam released through the streets, also effectively hiding Zephyr from view upon its release. It seemed the unusual wind currents had ceased. “What the hell is his ability?!” Exclaimed Kazuko, dumbfounded by the display before his eyes. A light breeze then came seconds later, spreading the steam towards Finwind and Kazuko even further. “That’s a devil fruit power, is it not?!” The breeze also carried the young man’s voice, which seemed to come out of everywhere. Suddenly, something shifted the steam cloud, as two things sprung from it, left and right, something closed in at great speeds. Finwind put away his sword and smirked at the man, as he began to swirl his fingers on his right hand in a circular motion at his side. He was beginning to gather moisture from the air to prepare himself for whatever the man pulled next. From the right, a cloud of steam traveled through the side of the buildings as if it were alive, from the left, the young man, Zephyr, leaped into the air and into the side of the buildings. As if defying gravity, he ran across the side of the buildings as well at an astounding speed. This was possible by Zephyr decreasing the air resistance around him, and enhancing his own speed with a wind current behind him, propelling himself forward. As he swiftly reached the building to Finwind’s side, he leapt, heading straight into the fishman, as did the cloud of steam on the opposite side. Zephyr cocked his left arm back, while he made a pulling motion with his right. Following the low hum, a wind current was summoned from behind the steam cloud that closed in on Finwind’s right, pushing the steam away and revealing it was somehow carrying Zephyr’s staff inside it. The staff would be pulled towards Finwind, with Zephyr’s pulling carrying the staff and the wind current with great force, aiming to smash the fishman from his right side. From his left side, Zephyr closed in, pushing his cocked arm forward, releasing a concentrated stream of wind from his palm, with enough power to crush through several layers of stone. With a pulling current to the right, and a pushing one to the left, Zephyr aimed to overwhelm Finwind with the opposing forces, trying to force the fishman to merely block, if possible, as the pressure from standing in the midst of the opposing currents would attempt to make movement minimal when standing right in the middle of it. Finwind shoved his shield left, bearing hard into the man's attack, while, with the other hand, thrusting outward with his palm, a spread of water swirled as a secondary shield to fend off the other side. He grind his feet into the ground, there was no moving, he was practically pinned in place. He let out a grunt before turning his entire body to brass, letting down his shields, both heavy impacts crashing against his body, knocking Finwind back a good few feet. Dust flew into the air, but soon it came to settle, Finwind standing tall within it. "That wasn't a bad hit, for a human." He said, placing his shield onto his back and cracking his knuckles. The mans dim yellow skin soon turned back to blue and he held out his hands "Are you done playing around, Kid? We adults have business to finish." he said, taking a new stance without his weapons, one very reminiscent of most Karate Styles. ---- A tall man with silver hair and a rugged face walked up behind Kaitome, gingerly rubbing his side. His navy colored uniform stood out in comparison to the white ones of the other soldiers. "Are your troops ready to move in?" asked Henry Benjamin. Turning to face the commanding officer, Kaitome nodded. "Yes, Commander Benjamin. The broker has been located and our soldiers are ready. At your command." “Excellent. How many criminals are we dealing with?” “If our information is correct, only three. The broker and one other, surely some hired muscle, and a guy that entered the tent, probably to make the deal.” Suddenly, a gust of wind was seen in the distance, reaching high in the skies. “Commanded, that’s coming from the direction they should be in! We should move now!” "Alright, move out! Be wary, just because they're few doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. I've heard some strange things about this broker." “Move out!” Exclaimed Kaitome, as she and a large unit of Marine soldiers headed into the center of town. Kaitome then looked at the rainy sky, which had become unstable given the sudden appearance of some unpredictable wind patterns. ---- As the marines moved in, Benjamin had his own objective. Securing a Devil Fruit of any kind was always beneficial to the government. How lucky he was as well, that two of the potential buyers seemed to be fighting over it. "Well, this should make things easier." He remained hidden. It would be a good idea to take them on after they were more weakened. “Drakahahahaha!” Zephyr laughed as he landed a few feet back, wiping some dust from his body, after Finwind’s effective counter. He raised his left arm, gripping his staff who had flown from where Finwind’s block had thrown it towards, right into Zephyr’s hand. “You “adults” are laughable then! To be held back and tricked by a kid, aah, so disappointing.” His eyes suddenly turned intense, as Finwind took his stance. “Fishman karate, eh? I’m excited to witness it firsthand!” Zephyr also took a stance, placing his staff on his right hand, and to his side, and his left arm forward, placing his right leg behind him, with the left one in front. The wind began to shift around Zephyr. “Let’s see which style is best!” Zephyr launched himself from his position, quickly closing in the distance between them. As he drew closer, he had drawn his staff backwards, where the wind around him seemed to focus greatly. “'Melody of Wind'...” Zephyr muttered. The young man gripped his staff tightly, and let himself dive into a flow state. Focusing on his strike, he thrusted his staff with blinding speed towards Finwind’s stomach. If the speed and strength of the thrust wasn’t already strong enough, the attack was accompanied by a vortex of wind, that followed with the strike, sending with it slicing winds of great force that could tear through various layers of solid rock. Even if dodged, the vortex would forcefully attempt to draw Finwind into the attack, trying to leave the fishman little choice to evade, but to instead take it head on. “'First Song: Wind-Chasing Spear'!” If Finwind endured, evaded or somehow blocked the vortex, Zephyr’s staff would still attempt to reach his body, and deliver a powerful blunt blow that packed quite a punch. Finwind quickly pulled up a palm and thrust it into the side of the staff "Sharkskin Palm Thrust", and knocked the staff to the side, to avoid it from contacting his body, the winds however, still followed through, knocking Finwind back a few feet, though before it could push him back, he grabbed hold of the staff and yanked it, and possibly the boy, with him. As they stopped moving back, Finwind pulled the Staff towards him, thrusting forward a punch "Thousand Brick Fist" he aimed for the man's stomach at an attempt to knock him away from his staff. “Woooaaah!” Zephyr exclaimed, as his body was forcefully drawn in towards Finwind, after having redirected and endured his thrust strike. “Ha! Don’t act cocky just cause you blocked my most basic technique!” Zephyr said, as he was pulled closer to the fishman, letting the momentum carry him. However, instead of using another technique from his Wind Melody, or swiftly evading the strike, he opted for another, more direct option. He let go of his staff, letting himself land on the ground right in front of Finwind. He extended both arms forward, palms open. His legs, however, were firmly planted into the ground, knees bent, taking a traditional horse stance pose. Zephyr was planning on taking Finwind’s attack head on. Yet, to boldly try and block the powerful fishman’s attack was foolish, in fact, it was quite possible the fishman surpassed him in raw strength. But there were other ways to deal with things like this. “'Melody of Earth'...” Zephyr’s body seemed to sink itself into the ground, his stance firm and unwavering. His body tensed to it’s entirety, completely changing from the flexibility and nimble nature of his usual style. Finwind’s punch impacted Zephyr’s palms, releasing a shockwave as his fishman karate sought to overwhelm him. He gritted his teeth, slightly reeling from feeling the impact on his insides. “'Fourth Song: Gate of Rashōmon'!” Zephyr was holding his powerful stance, having endured the straight punch, yet his body was still dragged back a few meters, his feet planted in the ground, leaving a trail as he was forced back. “Hehe...” He grinned towards Finwind, a small tremor was heard through the ground. His stance still firm, he lowered his arms to his side, curled in fists and facing upwards. However, a slight breeze caught his attention, as it shifted differently through the nearby area. “Oi!” He exclaimed, “I know you’re there! Come and join us! Here!” Zephyr placed his left leg forward, stomping the ground, crushing it slightly with his step. “'Melody of Earth, Seventh Song'...” The ground began to rumble, shaking the surrounding area. The young man slightly turned his eyes towards Benjamin’s hiding position, having uncovered his location. He then outstretched his hands forcefully, his fists now facing downwards, as the rumble began to crack the ground itself. “'Great Eruption Pillar'!” In a sudden release of energy, the ground around the middle of town exploded upwards, shattering buildings, streets and everything caught in it’s path. The area of effect was concentrated on both Finwind and Benjamin’s location, minimizing the damage around the rest of town. If caught in it, the shockwave would probably cause trauma if taken head on, while also making the situation worse with the amount of debris expelled because of it. The energy “absorbed” from Finwind’s attack, was redirected towards the ground, dispersing it, and now being released in a concentrated, shockwave burst, with Zephyr’s own added energy. As the earth disperses and transfers vibrations, so does the Earth Melody, capable of taking heavy attacks, disperse them, and return it with multiplied power. The dust settled following Zephyr's attack. Benjamin removed a stone that had fallen on top of him. He grimaced at the man. "Draco D. Zephyr, worth 210,000,000. And I can't say I know who the Fishman is." Finwind jumped backwards and turned himself brass once more to defend against the attack, landing on the ground with a heavy thud, staff still in hand "Two Hundred Ten? Hell, I'd never put you at that price, worthless human" He said with a smirk. He looked to the staff before tossing it back to the man "It's sturdy, but the craftsmanship is sub-par" he added before looking to the new man "I've been busy for a while, but last I remember my bounty was 50,000,000, Finwind, you'd do well to remember it." Finwind turned back to his normal form once more "I'll say this once, I was hired to protect that box, nothing more. Return it, and I walk away. If you insist to continue this fight, I will unleash my full power, and no one in this town will be safe, innocent or not." he threatened, crossing his arms awaiting a decision from the others. Nothing but a Game Zephyr grinned back at Finwind as he grabbed his staff. "Yeah, I know, wanna' get myself a better staff." He grabbed the small crate and began tossing it up and down. "This eh? Well...to be honest? I have no interest in a Devil Fruit at the moment, buuuuut I thought it could come useful in tha' future!" He then pointed at Benjamin with his staff. 'Oi dude! This fishman here, even with all his brooding and "worthless human" catchphrase, has impressed me with his strength! Ya' sure you're not in the wrong place? Don't start crying if ya' can't keep up!" "So..." said Kazuko from a distance away. "You have no intention of surrendering the item?" "Nope!" responded the young man. "I figured...if its a game you want then, I'll oblige...BOARD!" Suddenly, the ground beneath the fighters turned into black and white colored squares, as if they were standing on top of a chessboard. The environment seemed to dissipate. The buildings weren't visible anymore, as they seemed to be surrounded by endless void at the point where the board finished. Each squared space was very large, capable of fitting two people in each. "What the?!!" exclaimed Zephyr, as he looked frantically around to see space shifting into this. "Welcome to my Game Board, players!" exclaimed Kazuko's voice, which reverberated from everywhere, as his body seemed to disappear from where he originally was. Benjamin had heard about this ability before, one that allowed the user to force people into a game board, separate from the rest of reality. He wasn't surprised by that fact, and he assumed neither would Finwind, who appeared to be acting as an enforcer of sorts. As such, he focused his attention on the more easily distracted Zephyr. He leaped towards his enemy with the speed of Soru, pulling his fist back as he launched a powerful punch towards his target. "Tekkai Kenpo "Tetsu no Dangan!" Finwind growled as the board sprung itself upon them, turning furiously to Kazuko, who was no longer in sight "I am not your pawn, Game Master!" he shouted before looking back to the other gentleman who were seemingly just starting to scrap. Finwind smirked, they had chosen destruction. Finwind crouched and touched the ground before turning his body solid once more, but soon to follow, his body grew in size, at first it doubled, then tripled, but he did not stop growing until he was 10x his original size, a 100 foot brass giant. He took his left foot and smashed it through the buildings on his left before crouching downwards and moving his hand towards the men on the ground, aiming to grab them within his clutch. Still surprised by the environment change, Zephyr felt the wind shifting around him. “Oh so there’s still wi-“ However, his thoughts were cut short by the recent arrival, the Marine, closing the gap between them in a blink of an eye. Zephyr could only place his staff in front of him, holding with both hands, intercepting Benjamin’s strike. But because of the momentum and force carried by him, Zephyr was still pushed off his feet and flying a short distance. While airborne, he twisted his body and his arms, releasing another low “hum”, as a spiraling vortex gather underneath him, keeping the young man floating. “Oho! So that’s the Rokushiki style the Government uses. You should be grateful, one of the Wind Melody’s greatest masters allowed your style to survive!” His eyes were eager to engage Benjamin, but again, this time he was interrupted by a more obvious interference, as Finwind smashed his foot in the ground and launched his massive fist towards them. “Gihii!” Zephyr waved his arms, and launched himself with his wind vortex towards the incoming fist. As he neared the fist, he released the gust, and jumped towards the colossus’s arm, landing on it, running upwards on the arm. Zephyr then waved his staff in front of him, gathering air and releasing it in a powerful, wide current of airshlashes that travelled all the way around Finwind’s arm. “'Fifth Song: Winter’s Breeze'!” The slashes would travel and curve their way around the massive arm, increasing in slashing power the longer they would travel around it. Zephyr would continue his assault he arrived to Finwind’s shoulder. "Geppo!" Benjamin shouted, jumping into the air, floating above in order to avoid Finwind's hand. As Zephyr ran up the colossus' arm, Avery landed on his arm, running up alongside his other enemy. "Rankyaku "Sen!" Alongside Zephyr's own attack, a straight line of pure pressure flew forward alongside Zephyr's own technique. It was strong enough to easily bore through solid iron. Finwind's hand crashed into the ground, sending out a massive shockwave through the area. Buildings all around crumbled, and the ground itself broke, cracked and shook ferociously under the pressure. The two men seemingly worked together, running up his arm and attempting to slash Finwind. He quickly pulled back as the attacks made their way at his face, managing to crack his metal skin, he quickly tried to shake the men off of him. A loud laugh filled the area "Your attacks are pretty strong, but at ten times my normal size, all of your attacks are only having one tenth of their normal effect on me" he said cockily, motioning to the small scar on his cheek, left by the man's Rankyaku. Finwind clenched a fist and soon his throat began to hum and glow a bright red color, before he opened his mouth wide and blew extremely heated air from his lungs towards the men, the wave of heat itself tore through the street, seemingly melting the stone, before it started to move towards the two men. Zephyr chuckled at the situation, both him and the marine, running on top of a giant arm, inside a game board. He glared at Benjamin's strike as he leaped from the arm, clenching back his arm, which held his staff, and thrusting it forward, sending a powerful, piercing air bullet aimed at Benjamin, while waving his other hand and instantly creating a foothold in midair. As he floated, he tried to look around for Kazuko. "There must be a weakness, some way I can attack that guy and get us out of here. With rocky over here, its really starting to get cramped!" he thought to himself, while the behemoth Finwind spoke and moved, and even before the blast got close, Zephyr sensed the temperature in the air rising. Still in midair, Zephyr waved his staff quickly with one arm, and his free arm as well. As the heated air got close, he placed his staff in front of him, holding it with both hands. "Vacuum wall!" The heated air blast was being pushed to Zephyr's side, as he grunted and clenched his teeth. However, the sheer size of the attack still managed to burn off a few pieces of his shirt, and on his shoulders and arms he felt grazes of heat on his skin. "Grr! Nice one! But!" He then spun his staff forcefully, further pushing away the air around him. "be it air blasts or air blades", he glanced at Benjamin, "they have no effect on me!" With a swift motion, the small spinning vortex that served as a foot hold turned into an incredibly fast spinning sphere, as he approached the massive Finwind. The low hum once again reverberated, as wind began to gather around him. He noticed how air still flowed inside this enclosed space, though it was somewhat limited, as it wasn't as easy to gather wind for his techniques. Nonetheless, while he sat on the spinning air sphere that quickly approached Finwind, Zephyr motioned his hands in a circular fashion extremely quickly, making them seem blurry. His body quickly began wrapped in a vortex, as several large tendrils began to form from the air itself. The tendrils took the form of snakes, countless ones, and swiftly shot themselves away from Zephyr, targeting both Benjamin and Finwind. "Ninth Song: Thousand-Headed Snake" This attack was targeted, as such, the snakes would continue chasing upon Zephyr's will until they reached their mark. Their power was great, each one capable of easily piercing through stone with the blinding speed they moved about. Dozens of piercing snakes emerged from Zephyr's attack, making getting close to the boy extremely difficult as the snakes would be tough to avoid. The ones aimed at Benjamin were aimed to pierce him and take him out, as once one hit, the wind pressure which composed its body would keep pushing, limiting movement and allowing more to strike. Countless others were aimed at the side of Finwind's body and his back. However, as he reached the colossus on top of his sphere, hoping to keep him occupied with the previous attack and hopefully injure him, Zephyr's true goal would reveal itself. He turned his hand into a claw, clenching it to the point veins protruded from his hand. Keeping himself afloat, he then would strike the side of Finwind's arm by launching his claw formed hand into it. Surrounding his arm as it reached its mark, was a slight, spinning breeze, which exploded forward the moment his claw made contact, creating a massive and powerful impact that had enough power to shatter several layers of stone as it spread outwards in a radius, with the intent of damaging Finwind's arm on its entirety. "Your size...is your WEAKNESS!" exclaimed Zephyr as his launched his attack, in hopes of severely damaging Finwind's tough body. Benjamin took the sky with Geppo once more after Finwind pulled back his arm, preventing himself from losing balance. as Finwind released his hot breath, his mistake was not aiming it towards him immediately. He was big and strong, but not that fast. He moved behind him using the speed of Soru, forcing him to either pick Zeohyr or himself as a target. As Zephyr released his own attack, however, things became slightly more tricky. “'Tekkai Kenpo “Hanehuruma”!' His body spun at an incredibly high speed, the serpents colliding against his already iron-hard skin and dissipating in an instant. He then hopped off the air once more, aimed towards the base of Finwind’s colossal neck. “'Tekkai ”Sai”'” His fist, propelled by the high speed of Geppo combined with Soru, was intended to bring down the colossus at worst and break his spine at best. Finwind's arm was struck by the man Zephyr, and pressurized air increasing the impact, soon cracks began to form and Finwind's entire arm broke and fell to the ground. Before he could react, the man Benjamin rushed towards his neck, knocking him with a heavy Tekkai attack. Finwind fell to his knees, and soon entirely to the ground, his massive body crushing buildings and knocking up dust to cover the entire area from view. Benjamin landed back on the ground, scanning the rubble for Finwind. "What an odd Zoan fruit," he said to himself. He didn't want to believe Finwind was out of the battle just yet. Zephyr jumped back as his strike caused damage and Benjamin executed his own attack, however, he was still caught in the large dust cloud that emerged after Finwind's body cracked and smashed the ground and the environment. Around the edges of the "board", several soldiers had been witnessing the battle. Each of these soldiers represented a piece in a chessboard, and there were enough to completely surround the board. However, they remained immobile and simple watched. One of these soldiers squinted and clenched his fist. "Damnit, these two are tough..." As the dust cloud permeated through the battle field, Zephyr used it as a cover to close in on Benjamin. Several ringing sounds suddenly became audible, as something was visibly shifting and moving about on the dust cloud. Suddenly, a large shuriken emerged and closed in towards Benjamin's side at great speed, cleanly cutting through a piece of building rubble on its way. However, this was no ordinary shuriken, it was large, and made of pure wind, aiming to cut cleanly through Benjamin and whatever stood in its way. But this wasn't all, more humming/ringing sounds appeared, as two more wind shurikens emerged from the opposite side, aiming straight at the marine. However, the one responsible for this was yet to reveal itself, probably still hiding inside the dust cloud. Benjamin's entire body clenched, his body becoming immobile, just when the shuriken made contact. "Tekkai "Go"!" They seemed to shatter as they hit his body. "Is that the best you've got?" He swiped his arm, the pressure from the movement clearing the dust in order to reveal Zephyr's location to him once again. "Tekkai Kenpo..." His arm became especially stiff, leaping towards Zephyr with unprecedented speed and power. "Lariat!" He aimed his arm, intent to bash his iron-hard limb into his target's throat. As Benjamin cleared the dust, Zephyr appeared to be grounded on his strong stance, with knees bent his staff floating on the side, and seemingly awaiting Benjamin. As the Marine closed in swiftly, Zephyr crossed his arms in an "x" shape with his palms facing outward, guarding his upper chest and neck. Benjamin's strike as it connected released a loud "boom" from the impact, Zephyr's eyes widening from pain as he also coughed up blood and spit, gritting his teeth and reeling from the powerful strike. He was dragged and slid backwards a distance, however, contrary to before where Benjamin managed to push Zephyr away from the ground, his stance remained firm, in fact, his feet sunk in the ground as he was pushed backwards and crushed the ground, leaving a trail from where the impact first occurred. However, Benjamin would also be dragged alongside Zephyr, as in the moment of impact, Zephyr grabbed Benjamin's arm with his left arm, his strong grip preventing Benjamin to slid away, as his powerful fingers, which managed to sink into Finwind's bronze skin, sunk into Benjamin's arm with an unreal grip. It was a risky gamble, as Benjamin's strike proved to be powerful and caused damage, however, it was a gamble Zephyr would take. "Melody of Earth..." However, it seemed the impact would've normally caused more damage to a small framed young man like Zephyr, but this time it didn't even cause him to go airborne. As his left hand grabbed hold of Benjamin's arm, his right arm lowered to his side, his forearm still steaming from enduring the impact of the lariat. However, ever since the strike, it seemed Zephyr's arm was vibrating wildly, though the vibrations were so quick that there were almost unnoticeable to the human eye. With blood dripping from his mouth, his expression suddenly turned to a devilish smile. Almost as blindingly fast as Benjamin's movement speed, Zephyr's right fist struck Benjamin's body just an instant after his left hand gripped him. A ringing sound emanated from his arm, releasing a powerful and devastating forward shockwave at the moment of impact, capable of bypassing external defenses and hitting its target internally with deadly force. The burst would be strong enough that would continue to travel even after hitting its target, easily breaking and tearing through stone and rubble without stopping, as the ground itself trembled upon the release, which should be a testament to how much damage a target's organs would endure. To a man who has mastered Rokushiki, Benjamin would probably feel familiar with the attack, after all, it was similar to his style's secret technique, yet it was even deadlier, as it had the energy from Benjamin's own impact, which Zephyr absorbed partly due to the Earth Melody, and redirected it unto his own burst. "Twenty-Second Song: Piercing Dragon Bomb!" As the shock traveled through his body, his old injury became enflamed. His teeth grit from the immense pain, the shock, even greater than Rokuogan. But then he remembered. He remembered the face of his brother as he gutted him. The look when he abandoned him a second time. The pain started to turn to power as his resolve only seemed to grow stronger. His arm grabbed onto Zephyr's in turn, the grip just as great. He spat out his blood, right into Zephyr's eyes. He pulled back his hand, sharpened into a point, as he sent another punch towards Zephyr's throat. He wouldn't stop there. If he didn't go down from the crushed windpipe, he'd keep punching him in his vital areas, not relenting until he was a bloody pulp. A small rumbling was heard, and soon the body of Finwind began to move, taking a sitting position for a moment before picking up his removed arm. He pulled it up to his shoulder and moved his hand over the cracks made in the brass. His hand began glowing a bright red, applying a severe heat to the damaged area. As he moved his hand away, the spot was glowing red, and as it faded back to its normal color, the cracks were gone! His entire arm was reattached, and functional, as he used it to help himself back to his feet. Finwind prepared a stance in his giant form "Fishman Karate: Surface Splitter" He quickly jolted a chop forward, sending out a pressure that would split the battlefield. From his hand outward, the ground would crack in a line and the entire dust cloud he would made, would be forced away, clearing the battlefield. The whole idea of a god being able to part a dust cloud was almost religious, almost. Zephyr gritted his teeth at the sight of the Marine still being able to stand up, and gripping his arm in turn. “Tough one aren’t y-“ Suddenly, Zephyr’s vision was blurred, Benjamin having spat blood into his eyes. Zephyr managed to keep one eye slightly open, noticing the marine’s swift strike towards his windpipe. Almost out of instinct, Zephyr turned his neck to the side as he lowered his head, managing to evade a fatal blow, though the punch grazed his neck, prompting him to cough slightly. As Benjamin seemed to want to engage into a raw fist fight, Zephyr obliged, his arm once again vibrating, though not as much as before, and struck Benjamin’s body after the marine connected a hit to his body, engaging in a back and forth brawl at close range. Zephyr’s strikes aiming to continue hitting the marine’s inner organs, as Benjamin’s strikes pummeled Zephyr. Both warriors punched each other relentlessly, however, Zephyr noticed Finwind preparing an attack, a slight distraction that caused him to take one last hit to the face. Reeling from pain from the dozens of hits, Zephyr was determined not to let himself be done in, thrusting his arm into the middle of Benjamin and him, creating a small, yet powerful vortex that separated them, and enabled Zephyr to barely dodge Finwind’s strike by launching himself into the air, as the ground was essentially split apart. Zephyr landed a distance away, his body bloody and injured, as he breathed heavily, his stare focused on Benjamin, who was probably in a similar state after their intense exchange. Suddenly, Finwind disappeared from the Chess board, and shortly after, the were sent back to the half destroyed city. The unit that came in with Benjamin had been wiped out, yet still alive, probably by Kazuko. “Heh!” Kazuko, standing on top of a building, looked down on the warriors. “It seems reinforcements have arrived. You two proved to be quite the nuisance!” In a flash, Kazuko disappeared. “Tch! This bastard!” Exclaimed Zephyr, his gaze once again focusing on Benjamin. “So, sha-...AH!” He noticed that just besides Benjamin, the crate holding the devil fruit was lying on the floor. He also felt another unit of Marines approaching the scene. “Well...shit.” "Soru!" Benjamin called, aimed an iron-hard kick to Zephyr's gut, just enough to knock him back, in order for him to scoop up the Devil Fruit before fleeing from the area. Zephyr's body seemed to reach fluidly and in a blur. His legs dropped, extending on the floor in a split, and his upper body bent backwards, touching the concrete. "You've done the same move like three times, not falling for that again!" Zephyr thought as he slid through the ground, letting Benjamin's momentum keep him going forward, as he got up, facing Benjamin's back. Swinging his staff in an angle in front of him, Zephyr conjured an extending sphere of slicing winds that had enough force to slice through stone and enough strength to push Benjamin away a distance should he be caught in it. As the wind sphere extended, Zephyr seemed to float away, even passing the devil fruit crate on his way. As this all happened, the rainfall seemed to get stronger, the stormy winds too. Benjamin skidded backwards, narrowly managing to block the strike with his arms. He dropped to his knees as he began panting, watching the injured Zephyr flee. "He's not the target anyways." He walked up to the crate, picking it up. "At least we'll have something to show for our efforts." Zephyr waved his hand at Benjamin, sporting a grin on his face. "Ooooii! I hope to see you again! I'm really not interested in the fruit, you can ha-" "BOOOMM!" Zephyr barely dodged a sudden explosion that detonated near him, as if the air itself suddenly combusted. "Gaah! What the...OH SHIT!" Standing on top of the rubble of the half collapsed city, Marine Commodore Fukushima Kijuro stood by, his eyes set on Zephyr. "Ah damnit! You again? I don't have time to-GAAH!" Another explosion pushed Zephyr back into the ground. He quickly recovered his balance, and began floating again. "Boom boom dude! STOP! I was just leaving, shit!" Kijuro scoffed, placing his hand in front of him once more. "You've escaped from me twice, I'm not going to miss this opportunity. Captain!" Kijuro said, referring to Benjamin. "You've done well. I'll finish this. Do not worry, I won't steal your credit, I have no need for meaningless praise." In a swift motion, Zephyr took advantage of the rising storm, swinging his arms in circles, quickly making the wind increase to hurricane levels. "Not again!" exclaimed Kijuro. Suddenly, several tornadoes formed, descending from the sky, as they covered the destroyed city, lifting the rubble and obliterating everything on their path. "TAKE COVER!" Kijuro exclaimed, as his unit helped Benjamin's unit to escape, and Kijuro awaited for Benjamin to move to safety, prioritizing it over capturing Zephyr. The young boy ascended into the heavens, escaping into the clouds. As Benjamin got out of range of his superior's attack, he caught sight of something, or more accurately, someone. He quickly bounced off of the air at a breakneck pace, behind a building that stood standing, despite all the commotion. He aimed a chop of his hand towards the back of the hiding man's neck. Trying to hold his own against the forces of nature, Kazuko tried to hold on with whatever he could grab. When suddenly he felt an intense presence behind him. "Fin-" Before he could even finish screaming for aid, Kazuko was knocked unconscious with Benjamin's strong chop. Taking shelter, Kijuro noticed what Benjamin was up to, even amidst this chaotic weather. "Huh? Dedicated Marine. I like that guy." He said as he observed the Marine finish the job, and effectively capture an enemy. Atop the clouds, already leaving the terrible weather and island behind, Zephyr floated in the wind, making his way back to Mokomo island, where he had left his belongings. He clenched his body, and wiped off the blood on his face. He needed to rest, that Marine and fishman were tougher than he thought. "ha...ha....Well...that was fun! Ahhh... Big bro Braulio will probably be angry at me for being in this state. Ha...ha...Oh well." Benjamin hoisted Kazuko over his shoulder. He didn't have any sea stone on him at the moment, so his iron grip would have to be enough for now. He immediately retreated, criminal in tow, back behind Marine lines. The storm had passed finally, and Kazuko had been apprehended, being wrapped in kairoseki chains. After those that received injuries got checked, Kijuro went over to Benjamin. "Excellent work, Marine soldier. It is a pity we couldn't capture Zephyr, I have been chasing him for months now. But you did well in engaging all of these enemies, and luckily, we got no civilian casualties as well." He looked to the horizon. Even though he was Benjamin's superior, he felt they weren't too far apart in age. Even two years ago, he was right there, were Benjamin stood this moment. Doing his best to exterminate the wave of rookies. "This is my ship's number. If you're ever in a pinch, do not hesitate to call, soldier." He said as he extended a paper to Benjamin. A soldier came rushing towards Kijuro, and whispered something in his ear. "He what?!" He exclaimed, startling the soldier. "Y-Yes sir. The specially crafted kairoseki staff...it's gone." Kijuro sighed, and chuckled slightly. "That little bastard..." "I guess that isn't the last we've seen of Zephyr," said Benjamin. "Now..." He looked at the crate, still in his hand, "What do we do with you?" Category:Role-Plays Category:Finished Role-Plays Category:Lemasters30 Category:Haraxmant Category:Black Dwarf Star